


Magic, Iron and Spirit

by VanHelsing019



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, possessed Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-20 02:24:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20667767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanHelsing019/pseuds/VanHelsing019
Summary: Accidental discovery of an ancient ruin on the outskirts of Camelot leads our heroes to inadvertently unleash chaos upon the Kingdom. Courage and determination will be put to the test along with the help of a familiar cryptic giant lizard. Will love be enough to save Albion or will it end in tragedy?





	Magic, Iron and Spirit

**What things have came to pass**

Paler than normal, dark markings ran intricately across his skin like charred cracks in dry wood with glowing red embers here and there giving off a smoky aura. Arthur trembled, Excalibur clenched in his hand, tip pointing at the dark figure. Merlin was circling around him, almost as though he had been cloaked in darkness. The whites of his eyes were black and his once lively blue irises were aglow with a sinister molten orange. "Come to smite me, have you, sire?"

Arthur choked back a sob. Kilgarrah had told him that his sword was able to kill undead and demonic spirits but that would require stabbing and inadvertently killing the host. That much was clear.

"If you leave him willingly, I'll let you go back from whence you came. Please, j-just leave him alone" Arthur's voice was on the verge of trembling. He watched feeling bile rise up in his throat as Merlin or at the very least the thing inside of him walked over the debris scattered floor. Arthur cringed as Merlin delicately stepped over the glowing charred remains of a few skeletons.

"And risk you trapping me back in that crystal? I am not so easy to catch as that fool Sigan" the voice was inhuman. A vibration between a monster and Merlin's. "This... body... is an untapped, unending supply of arcane power. You think I'd give this up? You are an even greater fool than your father was, Arthur Pendragon!" it smirked.

"Even if you manage to somehow remove me, his soul will be scarred. Like a wounded animal attracting predators, more demons will be drawn towards him. He will never be the man you knew. The man you… loved" the chuckle escaping Merlin’s mouth was cruel, seemingly clawing at Arthur’s chest.

"Silence!!" Arthur yelled, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes

"Testy aren't we?" It smiled with Merlin's lips, dry and chapped yet seemingly unconcerned. The orange irises focusing intently on Excalibur. "Your reflexes are quite impressive, sire. Let's see if you are a match against me without your little sorcerer here to interfere this time"

The words were barely cold before it drew back Merlin’s arm and swung it overhead, summoning a whip of electricity and swinging it towards Arthur.

The King ducked out of the way as the lightning whipped over his head, knocking a chunk of rubble out of the already crumbling wall. The demon moved with agility Arthur had never seen Merlin move with before. Arthur grabbed a rock off the floor and flung it at Merlin, who deflected it with a twitch of his wrist. "A rock?" Merlin giggled "My turn" he said raising his palm and clenching it into a fist. The floor cracked, bursting apart in a cloud of dust. The dust settled, revealing a large boulder floating in the air, the cruel smile on Merlin's lips sent a tremor down Arthur's spine. "Catch!!" it yelled, flinging the rock towards the King.

Arthur hit the floor as it struck the tiles a few inches in front of his head before bouncing off and crashing into the wall. Arthur jumped to his feet, using the dust as cover to duck behind the corner as a bolt of energy sizzled past him. His heart pounded in his throat, not knowing whether he would be able to survive the next spell. Trying to regain control of his breathing, Kilgarrah's voice echoed in his head "Know this, young King. You possess the only weapon to kill Merlin, but you lack the means to defeat him"

Arthur turned his gaze towards the sword in his hands, "Steel and iron will have no effect save it been bathed in dragon fire. For to defeat a sorcerer of Merlin’s calibre one must fight them with another. Only magic can defeat magic" Arthur clenched his eyes. He couldn't do it. It went against every fibre of his being.

The bane of his existence. For it was the very reason for his existence. Magic. Magic was vile. Wicked. Cruel. Just look at the destruction it sewed. NO! Magic was more than that. Merlin, his Merlin proved it to him time and time again. Merlin who used his magic to help flowers grow. Merlin who healed the sick and injured. Merlin who extinguished a house fire with the blink of an eye and then made the home better than new. No! Magic was balance. Creation and destruction in equal measure.

"You were born from magic, King Arthur, it is as much a part of you as you are of it. It will heed your command. You only need to awaken that which lays dormant. Grasp it. Command it."

"Are we playing hide and seek again, sire? Or to be more precise, search and destroy. Merlin isn't here to save you a second time. I’m going to find yooooooooouuuuu" Merlin said in his monstrous sing-song voice.

Arthur looked at Excalibur, her runes glinting in the light of the chandelier. Wait. The chandelier. Arthur chanced a glance. Merlin was almost just below the hanging ornament. Arthur collected himself, staring intently at the rope in the reflection. 'Break' Arthur thought "wheeeeree aaaaare yooouuuu?" Merlin's sing-song voice echoed.

'Break' again nothing happened. Arthur inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, clearing his mind. 'Free him. Set him free' His eyes snapped open, staring at the rope once again. 'BREAK!' Arthur felt a surge of power jolt through his veins and for a split second he saw his blue eyes flash a brilliant gold in the reflection.

**Author's Note:**

> A little something that I have been plotting for a while. Bare with me as this is a work in progress.


End file.
